The son of an impoverished farmer, brought up on the Bible and the sagas, Stephansson emigrated to the United States at the age of 20. He worked as a labourer on farms and in railway construction camps and finally set up a small farm in Alberta when he was 36.

Stephansson was the literary leader of the emigrant Icelanders. He lived a hard life as a pioneer farmer with a large family, and most of his poems were written after a long day’s work. His major collection, Andvökur, 6 vol. (1909–38; “Sleepless Nights”), was appropriately named.

Stephansson fought social regimentation, economic or clerical. He wrote nostalgically about Iceland but with equal fervour about his new country.